Splicing vise



Nov. 29, 1955 J. w. SCHULZE 2,724,985

SPLICING VISE Filed April 27, 1953 40 INVENTOR.

JAMES W. SCHULZE l m .u my BY MM 3 11 3 W M ATTORNEYS United States Patent M SPLICING VISE James W. Schulze, Tillamook, Greg.

Application April 27,1953, Serial No. 351,251

3 Claims. (Cl. 8117.4)

The present invention relates to a vise and more particularly to a vise for holding the strands of a wire cable while the same are spliced together.

It is frequently necessary in the course of logging or heavy construction operations and the like to splice an eye into the ends of heavy steel cables used in such operations. cult to manipulate in splicing eyes therein and must be clamped or otherwise held in place while making the splice. Often it is necessary to splice the cable when in the field, and heretofore it has been the practice to spike the cable in place upon a stump or other suitable rigid platform while the splicing operation is performed. However, it is necessary to change frequently the position of the cable as the splice is made and obviously the necessity of continually removing the spikes and respiking the cable is a burdensome task.

it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved vise for facilitating the splicing of cables.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cable splicing vise that is particularly adapted to be used in the field.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cable splicing vise that is small, compact and easily carried about.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cable-splicing vise that may be readily secured to any rigid support into which fastening members such as spikes or bolts may be driven.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent hereinafter.

Since steel cable is stiff and unwieldy it is difii- In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the

vise of the present invention comprises a base member adapted to be secured by spikes or bolts to the top of any rigid support such as a stump or beam.' Extending upwardly from the base member are a pair of uprights between which the portions of the cable to be spliced are received. Removably mounted on the uprights is an arbor member through which is threaded a screw carrying on its lower end a clamping block whereby the cable may be easily and quickly clamped to the base member and subsequently easily released for shifting or removing the cable.

Referring now to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the clamping vise of the invention showing how a cable is arranged therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the base member and uprights;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the vise;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the clamping arbor taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modified vise structure.

Referring now to the drawings, the clamping vise of the invention comprises a substantially flat base member or plate 10 having suitable openings 11 therethrough through which spikes or bolts (not shown) may be driven to secure the base plate to a suitable support such as Patented Nov. 29, 1955 a stump, log, or heavy structural timber. Mounted on the base member in substantially parallel relation are a pair of uprights 12, 13 of generally rectangular outline and between which the portions 14, 15 of a cable to be spliced may be placed as shown in Fig. 1. The uprights 12, 13 are of elongate, rectangular outline in horizontal cross-section and are arranged with the longer transverse dimensions parallel to one another. The lower medial portion of the uprights 12, 13, may be slotted as indicated by the reference numeral 9 to reduce the weight of the vise.

Adapted to be mounted on the uprights 12, 13 is an arbor member 16 through which is threaded a vertical clamping screw 17 having a clamping block 18 on its lower end for clamping the cable portions 14, 15 to the base plate 10. Cooperative interengaging means are provided on the uprights 12, 13 and the arbor member 16 releasably to secure the arbor member to the uprights whereby it may be easily removed when the cable portions 14, 15 are to be inserted or removed or when the position of the cable is to be changed, and for the further purpose of preventing relative vertical movement between the uprights 12, 13 and the arbor member when the clamping block 18- is clamped against the cable. Each of the uprights 12, 13 is provided with a horizontally extending rib 19, 20 respectively, extending outwardly from the outer surface thereof along the upper edge of the upright. The arbor member 16 comprises a substantially fiat bight portion 24 adapted to extend over the upper ends of the uprights 12, 13. The opposite ends of the arbor member extend downwardly and thence inwardly to define inwardly facing U-shaped channels, or hooks 25, 26 adapted slidably to receive the ribs 19, 20, respectively. The arbor member 16 may be easily mounted upon or removed from the uprights by sliding the arbor member horizontally in parallel relation to the ribs. The lower channel lips 27, 28 engage the corresponding ribs 19 or 20 when the screw 17 is operated so that force may be applied by the clamping block 18 firmly to hold the strands 15 to the base plate 10.

Provided on the arbor member 16 is an internally threaded boss 36 which may be a suitable machine screw nut welded to the bight portion 24 and through which the clamping screw 17 is threaded as shown in Fig, 4. The bight portion 24 is provided with a coaxial opening 29 of such diameter as freely to admit the screw 17 therethrough. The upper end of the screw is formed with an eye 30 through which a lever (not shown) may be inserted for tightening or loosening the screw 17. The lowermost end portion 32 of the screw 17 is unthreaded and of a reduced diameter and is received in a centrally disposed opening 31 in the clamping block 18 which opening is of slightly greater diameter than end portion 32 so that the screw may turn relative thereto. The lower portion 33 of the opening 31 is flared slightly outwardly and the lower end of the screw is peened over so as to expand the end within the enlarged portion 33 of the opening whereby the clamping block 18 is retained on the screw. The shoulder 34 on the screw 17 defined by the portion 32 bears against the upper surface of the block 18, of course, when the screw is operated to clamp cable strands. Preferably the clamping block is of such dimension as to extend laterally and longitudinally throughout the entire space between the uprights 12, 13 to provide maximum area for engaging the cable clamped thereby.

In using the vise, it has been observed that the arbor member has a tendency to slide upon the uprights in a direction away from the eye of the cable as the clamping block is brought to bear upon the cable strands 14, 15. This is because of the slight downward inclination in that direction of the spliced cable surface resulting from the taper of the splice. Interengaging stop means are provided, therefore, on the uprights and arbor member to prevent such movement. Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, an upwardly extending flange 35 is provided on a corresponding end or" each of the uprights 12, 13 which will engage the arbor member 16 and limit its relative movement in that direction. It will be obvious that in using the device, the operator must take care that the cable is arranged so that the eye is formed on the proper side of the vise whereby the flanges 35 will serve their purpose.

A slightly modified vise structure is shown in Fig. 5, and comprises a base member 40 upon which is mounted a pair of rectangular uprights 41, 42 as in the previously described embodiment. Secured as by welding to the upper ends of each of the uprights 41, 42 are angle members 43, 44 defining with the upper end of the corresponding upright an inwardly facing channel or hook. Slidably received within the channels or hooks are the ends of a fiat, rectangular arbor member 4-5 which extends across the opening between the uprights 41, 42 and supports the clamping screw 17 as hereinbefore described.

The vise of the invention is compact and readily adapted to be carried as an accessory tool. Moreover, the vise may be quickly and easily manipulated to release and reclamp the cable whereby the cables position may be readily changed as the splice is made.

Having illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention permits of modification in arrangement and detail. I claim as my invention all such modifications as come within the true function and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cable-splicing vise comprising a substantially flat base member, a pair of uprights mounted on said base member for receiving therebetween the cable'portions to be spliced, an arbor member mounted on said uprights, interengaging hook and shoulder mounting means on said arbor member and said uprights engageable upon relative sliding movement therebetween in a direction parallel to said base member, said mounting means preventing relative vertical movement between said arbor member and said uprights, interengaging stop means on said arbor member and uprights to limit said sliding movement when said arbor member reaches its operative position on said uprights, a vertical clamping screw threaded through a medial portion of said arbor member and depending between said uprights, and a clamping block carried by the lower end of said screw for clamping said cable portions to said base member.

2. A cable-splicing vise comprising a substantially flat base member securable to a rigid support, a pair of substantially rectangular uprights mounted in longitudinally parallel, spaced relation on said base member, each of said uprights having a rib lying parallel to said base member and extending along the upper edge of the outer surface of said upright, an arbor member including 21 depending hook portion on each of the opposite ends thereof for slidably receiving the corresponding rib, said arbor member being mounted on said uprights by sliding the arbor member thereon from one side thereof, interengaging stop means on said arbor member and uprights to limit said sliding movement when said arbsor member reaches its operative position on said uprights, and a clamping screw threaded through said arbor and depend ing between said uprights and carrying a clamping block on its lower end for clamping cables to said base member.

3. A splicing vise comprising a substantially fiat base member securable to a rigid member having a substantially horizontal surface, a pair of uprights mounted on said base member in spaced relation for receiving therebetween the cable portions to be spliced, said uprights being of elongate, rectangular cross-section, and arranged with the longer transverse dimensions thereof parallel to one another, each of said uprights having a horizontally and outwardly extending rib along the upper edge of the outermost side thereof, an arbor member mounted on said uprights and comprising a bight portion extending over and supported on the top of said uprights and a channel portion on each of its opposite ends including a lip projecting under the corresponding rib in order to prevent substantial relative vertical movement between said arbor member and said uprights, said arbor memher being slidable relative to said uprights horizontally and in a direction parallel to said longer transverse dimensions, each of said uprights having an upwardly extending flange on a corresponding end thereof to engage said arbor member in order to limit said relative hori- Zontally slidable movement, a vertical clamping screw threaded medially through said arbor member, and a rectangular clamping block mounted 011 the lower end of said screw for clamping said cable portions to said base member.

McLean Sept. 17, 1901 Shufflebottom et a1. Dec. 20, 1910 

